  |
Email to a Colleague Print Page |
|
McMorrow Report | April 2008
A Career for the Decades
by Eileen McMorrow
As we all know, the proposed healthcare policies of the presidential candidates are a critical focus of their campaigns. A person’s current healthcare coverage and how precariously it may be linked to their employment, influences their vote. Further, when retiring baby boomers vote, their healthcare concerns will figure in their decision as they anticipate decades of retirement albeit with some health issues.
While the economy and devalued U.S. currency have affected the workforce and corporate facility expansion in some sectors, nothing appears to be stopping the demands for new healthcare facilities. “Construction continues at a rapid pace,” says Deborah J. Breunig, RN, BSN, and MBA who is the Vice President of Healthcare with the furniture firm, KI. “Our projections indicate the health care market can just about keep up with rising demand of the baby boom generation.”
And when McMorrow Report was determining readership for this new online publication dedicated to healthcare facilities management and design, it became clear that many of the corporate design firms subscribing to McMorrow Report were expanding into healthcare design. “The major architect and design firms have all added the healthcare discipline as a growth area,” says Breunig.
Today, healthcare facilities look more like hotels. Both corporate and hospitality designers have had a role in shaping contemporary healthcare facilities. “Further, when it comes to creating healthcare environments, consumers are driving the image,” says Breunig. “The baby boomers demand beautiful environs, not a traditional-looking hospital.” And it’s the facilities managers who maintain the image after it is installed.
The increase in the number of private patient rooms reflects how hospitals regard the importance of patient privacy, faster recovery rates, and the fact that private rooms are better for infection control and staff morale. Today’s private room design guidelines make room for the family. Hence, the healthcare furniture industry has responded with accommodations and a variety of sleepover chairs that have improved in style and function since they were first introduced.
“We are seeing that more forward-thinking regarding sustainability in healthcare from the design of the space to the cleaning process,” says Breunig. Furniture manufacturers have to consider sustainability in their approach with components and fabric finishes. “Even though there are more environment-friendly cleaning agents in use, we still have to design furniture that can stand up to bleach,” she adds.
In response to the call for sustainable furnishings in the hospital, Breunig indicates that manufacturers are exploring product longevity. For example, sofa-beds and guest sleeping recliners can last seven to ten years. “However, rather than discard the whole piece of furniture, the industry is looking at the chassis. Style and color will change, but the seat and back components can be refreshed,” says Breunig. “We are considering how the furniture components can be replaced in the field to avoid shipping back an entire chair.”
So what do healthcare facilities managers want from interior furnishings? They demand safety, the ability to clean, long-term quality and function in a 24/7 environment, and good aesthetics. Healthcare FMs are savvy about what works. Before they buy, they will look at mechanisms for the safety of staff and patients. Flexibility and functionality are important and pieces must move easily.
Breunig further explains trends we are seeing in the demand for more bariatric furniture. Over the last five years the ratio has shifted. It used to be 5 to 10% bariatric, with 20% bariatric in cardiac care areas. Today, at a minimum, 20% of healthcare seating is bariatric. The industry can expect to see more styles and trends in baraiatric accommodation at NeoCon.
|
|
|